“Reach out if you need anything.”
“I’m here if you have questions.”
“My door is always open.”
Chances are, you’ve said one, two, or all of these things as a people leader. And it’s highly likely that you not only said them but you meant them. After all, being available to your colleagues for questions, concerns, and challenges is part of helping them navigate everything from return-to-work conversations to office politics.
Furthermore, so many of us have had our own efforts and engagement thwarted by micromanagers that we may be wary of repeating the pattern with our direct reports. And so, we use “My door is always open” as code for “I don’t want to micromanage you, but I also don’t want to leave you flailing.” We want to be helpful and supportive, and making ourselves available to them is a simple way to do that.
